Brief case



S. H. LIFTON May 5, 1936.

BRIEF CASE Filed July 26, 1955 ATTORNEY Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 26,

6 Claims.

The present invention has to do with a brief case and is especially concerned with improvements in a brief case of the type having front and rear leather walls appropriately interconnected by a flexible gusset characterized by a plurality of longitudinally disposed spaced partitions to define several compartments.

The primary object of the invention resides in the provision .of a brief case comp-rising front and rear walls provided with strengthening means along corresponding margins thereof, the strengthening means constituting juxtapositioned flexible metal strips cooperating to retain the normal flat appearance of the case.

The invention has as another object the provision of a brief case in which the strengthening means for the front and rear walls thereof each comprise a U shaped member having spaced sides and a common interconnecting brace each consisting of juxtapositioned flexible flat metal strips or bars, the sides and brace of each member having overlapped connections substantially corresponding to the combined thickness of the juxtapositioned strips.

The invention further comprehends a novel but durable brief case which may be subjected to rigorous use without losing its normal shape, which has attractive appearance pleasing to the eye, which is practical and inexpensive in construction, and which may be economically manufactured.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed and as to its other objects, features and advantages, the mode of operation and manner of its organization, these, inter alia, may be better understood by referring to the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof in which:--

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a brief case according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on 45 the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an exploded or disassembled view, illustrating the several parts of a reinforcing frame adapted to be mounted against the inner face of a front or rear wall of the case.

Fig. 4 is an inside elevational view of the front wall.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an inside elevational view of the rear wall.

1935, Serial No. 33,285

Fig. '7 illustrates in perspective an enlarged fragmentary portion of the reinforcing frame shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 1.

The brief case according to the invention is generally designated in and comprises a front wall H, and a rear wall l2 suitably interconnected by a gusset or bellows I3. Rear wall I2 integrally extends above the front wall II, forming a flap or closure l4. According to the invention walls II and I2 may be of a flexible material, such as durable leather or the like.

Appropriately secured to flap l4 and. front wall II are the disconnectable complementary locking members l5 and I6 for holding flap l4 in closed position and attached to an intermediately reinforced portion I! of the rear wall I2 is a swingable handle l8. With flap l4 against the outer face of the front wall, the intermediate reinforced portion l'l thereof is disposed horizontally and constitutes the top wall of the case.

Spaced straps I9 and 20 are slidably connected to the front, rear and top wall of the case and serve as complementary sustaining means for holding the flap I4 against the front wall although complementary members l5 and I6 may be in an interlocked relation.

The front and rear walls II and I2 are each suitably reinforced by a strengthening frame, generally .denoted 20 and each frame is a substantially U shaped member as illustrated.

Each frame comprises spaced sides 2| and 22 interconnected by a common bottom brace 23 each consisting of a pair of juxtapositioned relatively flat metal rectangularly shaped flexible and resilient strips or bars 24 and 25, having their relatively wide inside faces in contact.

Strips 24 and 25 of the bottom brace 23 are appropriately secured together by suitable rivets or ferrules 26. Before securing the superimposed strips of brace 23, the upper strip 25 is so arranged on the lower strip 24, that the terminals 21 of strip 25 overhang corresponding terminals of lower strip 24, that is, upper strip 25 is slightly greater in length than lower strip 24 and the former is so disposed and secured to the latter as to provide an overhanging terminal 21 above each end of lower strip (see Fig. 7).

In a similar fashion, the resilient and flexible superimposed strips 24 and 25 of sides 2| and 22' are appropriately secured together by rivets or ferrules 26. It will be noted, however, that the lower terminals 21 of the lower strips 24, in this case, extend beyond the lower end of their super-, 55

imposed upper strip 25, while the upper terminals thereof are substantially flush (see Figs. 3 and 5).

Terminals 2'! may be said to constitute shoulders or steps and these are disposed in overlapped relation as illustrated, the arrangement being such that the combined thickness of superimposed steps is substantially equivalent to the combined thickness of a pair of juxtapositioned flexible metal strips 24 and 25.

With the sides 2| and 22 arranged substantially perpendicular to horizontal brace 23 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 7, but with overlapping shoulders thereof not secured, a rectangular strip of leather 28 is placed over brace 23. Strip 28 has a length coextensive with the length of either of the rear and front walls I l and I2 and thus overhangs the overlapped shoulders. Strips 28 and the overlapped joints formed by adjacent shoulders 21 of the frame are thensecured together by rivets or ferrules 26'. v V i A frame 20, constituted by secured parts 2|,

22, 23, and 28, is now arranged within the side the reinforcing frame against the inner surface of the front wall. Subsequently, the front face of the front wall is creased or embossed along lines and 3|, following the contour of the sides and brace of the reinforcing frame and consequently forming a raised marginal border 32, substantially coextensive with the length and height of the front wall. To further enhance the appearance of the front wall and concomitantly provide supplementaryholding means for the reinforcing frame in respect to the front'wall and leather strips 28 and 29 both of the latter are secured together by a line of stitching 33 to the front wall. V

In Fig. 6, reinforcing frame 28, is secured to the inner face of the rear wall in the same manner as a corresponding frame is to the front wall but flexible leatherstrips 29 secured to the rear wall extend above the elevation of the front wall and are interconnected by a longitudinally disposed flexible finishing strip 35 sewed to top wall I! of flap l4 and interposed between top wall I! and finishing strip 35 is a relatively heavy metal strip36 riveted to supporting means (not shown) for swingably carrying handle 18.

The upper margin of flap I4 is also provided with reinforcing or strengthening means in the form of a pair of similar metal strips, such as, 24 and 25, appropriately riveted or secured to a finishing piece 31 adhesively secured to inside face of flap I4, the arrangement being such that strips 24 and 25 attached to the finishing piece 31 have their corresponding ends flush. Subsequently by lines of stitching 34, the gusset being provided with a plurality of partitions 38 dividing the pocket formed by the case into the several compartments. v

If desired, the juxtapositioned flexible strips of the strengthening reinforcing members 20 may be of. any required thickness but sufficiently resilient to automatically restore the front and rear walls of the case to normal flat position after accidental or deliberate deforming thereof. By providing the sides and the brace of areinforcing member 20 in laminated form, the ends of the opposing laminations, namely, the ends of the juxtapositioned strips 24 and 25 maybe utilized to constitute corner overlapped connections and according to the invention each of the corner connections has the combined thickness of a pair of laminations or strips. Hence it is possible to increase the strength of a reinforcing member 20 without providing corner projections which'- would provide needless ridges along the corners of the front and rear walls. 7

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense, for example, although the reinforcing members have been set forth particularly in connection with a brief case, it is to be understood that such members may be applied to any type of envelope, or article holding means.

I claim 1. In a brief case, the combination of, spaced front and rear walls each having strengthening means comprising spaced elongated flat resilient sides and an elongated resilient flat brace interconnecting said sides, said sides having their lower portions reduced to provide terminal shoulders, said brace having terminal shoulders, the lower shoulders of said sides being disposed in overlapped relation relative to the shoulders of said brace to provide overlapped corner connections, yieldable means secured to an inner face of each of said walls for enclosing a respective strengthening means thereof, and an intermediately disposed gusset connected to said front and rear walls and to outer marginal portions of said yieldable means.

2. In a brief case, the combination of, spaced front and rear walls each having strengthening means comprising spaced sides and a brace interconnecting said sides, said brace and sides comprising elongated juxtapositioned resilient flat strips, said brace and sides having reduced overlapping and connected portions constituting corners of said strengthening means, yieldable means secured to an inner face of each of said walls for enclosing and sustaining a respective strengthening means thereof, and an intermediately disposed gusset connected to said front and rear walls and to corresponding outer marginal portions of said yieldable means.

3. In a brief case, the combination of, spaced front and rear walls each having strengthening means comprising a U shaped member having spaced sides and a brace interconnecting said sides, said brace and sides of a member comprising a plurality of juxtapositioned flat resilient strips, the sides of each of said members having a reduced lower portion, the brace of each of said members having terminal reduced portions, the reduced portions of said sides and reduced pOrtions of said brace of a respective member being' disposed in overlapped and connected relation, yieldable means secured to side and lower marginal portions of an inner face of said front and rear walls for enclosing and sustaining a respective stregthening means thereof, and an intermediately disposed gusset connected to said front and rear walls and to corresponding outer marginal portions of said yieldable means.

4. In a brief case, the combination of, spaced front and rear walls, strengthening means comprising a U shaped member mounted within the side and lower marginal portions of an inner face of each of said walls, yieldable means secured to marginal portions of each of said walls and enclosing a respective strengthening means thereof, each member of said walls comprising spaced vertical sides and a horizontal brace, the sides and brace of each member comprising a plurality of elongated resilient fiat strips, the strips of said sides being in overlapped relation to constitute lower terminal shoulders, the brace of a member having terminal shoulders, the lower shoulders of said sides of a member and an adjacent shoulder of an associated brace thereof being disposed in overlapped relation and providing an overlapped connection, and an intermediately disposed gusset connected to said front and rear walls and to corresponding outer marginal portions of said yieldable means.

5. In a brief case, the combination of, spaced front and rear walls, strengthening means comprising a U shaped member mounted within the side and lower marginal portions of an inner face of each of said walls, yieldable means adhesively secured to an inner marginal portion of each of said walls and enclosing a respective strengthening member thereof, each member of said walls comprising spaced vertical sides and a horizontal brace, the sides and brace of each member comprising a plurality of juxtapositioned resilient and flexible flat strips having their inner faces contacting, the strips of said sides being in overlapped relation to provide lower shoulders, the strips of said brace of a member being in overlapped relation to provide terminal shoulders, the lower shoulders of said sides of a member and an adjacent shoulder of an associated brace thereof being disposed in overlapped relation and providing secured overlapped corner connections having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the strips of an associated member and an intermediately disposed gusset connected to said front and rear walls and to corresponding outer marginal portions of said yieldable means.

6. In a brief case, the combination of, spaced front and rear walls, strengthening means comprising a U shaped member mounted within the side and lower marginal portions of an inner face of each of said walls, yieldable means adhesively secured to an inner marginal portion of each of said walls and enclosing arespective strengthening member thereof, each member of said walls comprising spaced vertical sides and a horizontal brace, the sides and brace of each member comprising a plurality of elongated juxtapositioned resilient and flexible strips having their inner faces contacting, the strips of said sides being in overlapped relation to provide lower shoulders, the strips of said brace of said members being in overlapped relation to provide terminal shoulders, the lower shoulders of said sides of a member and an adjacent shoulder of an associated brace thereof being disposed in overlapped relation and providing corner connections having a combined thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the strips of an associated member, an intermediately disposed gusset connected to said front and rear walls and to corresponding outer marginal portions of said yieldable means, said rear wall having a flap comprising a horizontal marginal portion, and a plurality of juxtapositioned flat flexible strips secured to the inner face of the horizontal portion of said flap.

SAMUEL H. LIF'I'ON. 

